Sometimes you get a wild hair and you want to try some wild hare. The waitress hands you the menu, and your eyes are fixated on some insane combination of flavors or a dish so large, youre sure a team of pack mules will drag it out to the table. Go for it. Get crazy. Order something weird. If it doesnt work out, theres always Tums.
by Greg Elwell,
photos by Mark Hancock and Garett Fisbeck
Irmas Burger Shack
1035 NW 63rd St.
840-4762
Irmas is primarily known for its burgers because the NoName Ranch burger is one of the finest ever produced on this earth, but Irmas has a menu that digs deep to scratch other itches. Take the pairing of blackened fried egg and chicken breast with green chiles and pepperjack cheese on the Which Came First. Steak and eggs? Fine. Pork chop and eggs? No problem. But theres just something odd about eating chicken with eggs ... if only this didnt taste so good.
Cattlemens Steakhouse
1309 S. Agnew Ave.
236-0416
Continuing our tour of eggs paired with foods is Cattlemens, where the calf brains and eggs are, well, they are. They exist. For some, its a delicacy with a mild, mineral taste. (I recommend a lot of hot sauce.) Better are another kind of huevos: lamb fries. Its the testicular treat that cant be beat. Give one a nibble and youre sure to be hooked.
Picasso Cafe
3009 Paseo Drive
602-2002
Vegetarians claim they dont miss meat. Sure theatrical wink sure. Thats totally why the geniuses at Picasso Cafe created a vegetarian pulled pork made with jackfruit that really, really tastes like it contains slow-roasted pig meat. Frankly, its a little mind-blowing how this concoction mimics some of the best barbecue around without including a single hoof or snout.
Tommys Italian American Grill
5516 W. Memorial Road
470-5577
Fish heads, fish heads, roly poly fish heads ... are delicious. I mean, fish tastes great anyway, but if you want to get into flavor country, swim toward the fish head. And for one of the few local restaurants that will serve you the whole fish, give Tommys Italian American Grills whole roasted branzino a try. Seasoned, baked and finished with lemon and olive oil, this fish is a treat all the way down to the tail.
The Shack Seafood & Oyster Bar
303 NW 62nd St.
608-4333
While it is allowed, the management of The Shack would like to inform diners that wearing overalls is not a requirement for ordering the fried alligator. (From personal experience, I can also tell you they dont appreciate fake Cajun accents while ordering.) Fried alligator has a pretty mild flavor not a lot of bite so make sure you get plenty of delicious dipping sauces, even if you get them all over your overalls.
Tuckers Onion Burgers
15001 N. May Ave.
254-5555
Oh, so you came to eat? Then let me tell you the tale of Big Mother Tucker. She was a beefy gal, stacked three times as high as most ladies you might meet. She was solid, but not impenetrable. Some would even call her a bit cheesy. You could ask her to come without her best friend Onions, but she just wouldnt be the same. Are you man (or woman) enough to take her down? Maybe its time to try.
Mama Sinmis Chophouse
2312 N. MacArthur Blvd.
947-6262
Ogedge and ogadamclayton never caught on in West Africa, but ogbono became a favorite and one you can find at Mama Sinmis Chop House. Ogbono is wild mango seeds sautéed with fresh-cut spinach, spicy broth and palm oil served over fufu, a dough made from the boiled and pounded flour of yam, cassava or plantains. It comes with beef or chicken, but if you really want to go big, spend $3 extra and upgrade to goat. Its worth it.